...Int. J. Six Sigma and Competitive Advantage, Vol. x, No. x, xxxx 1 Six Sigma and Total Quality Management: different day, same soup? Bengt Klefsjö* and Bjarne Bergquist Division of Quality and Environmental Management, Luleå University of Technology, SE-971 87 Luleå, Sweden E-mail: Bengt.Klefsjo@ltu.se E-mail: Bjarne.Bergquist@ltu.se *Corresponding author Rick L. Edgeman Department of Statistics, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho 83844-1104, USA E-mail: redgeman@uidaho.edu Abstract: For decades now TQM has been a dominant management concept for improving competitiveness and financial results. In recent years, however, TQM seems to have lost some of its nimbus with other concepts and approaches such as Lean Enterprise and Six Sigma launched and increasingly in vogue. The aim of this paper is to look at TQM and Six Sigma, their backgrounds, definitions and ingredients, and their similarities and differences to see whether the two concepts really are different dishes or contain the same ingredients in different proportions. Keywords: quality; Quality Management; Six Sigma; Total Quality Management (TQM). Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Klefsjö, B., Bergquist, B. and Edgeman, R.L. (xxxx) ‘Six Sigma and Total Quality Management: different day, same soup?’, Int. J. Six Sigma and Competitive Advantage, Vol. x, No. x, pp.xxx–xxx. Biographical notes: Bengt Klefsjö is a Professor of Quality Technology and Management at Luleå University of Technology in Sweden...
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...EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This research paper acknowledges different quality management tools. It is about the evolution of different quality tools and defining the best practice Strategic model in IT organization in relation to achieving quality within their business processes and integrating business processes to achieve strategic goals. Previous research and study indicates the various quality system tools in order to achieve quality management objectives in the competitive business environment. This research paper investigates and finds out the evolution of different quality system tools and significance of various quality tools and then designing best practice strategic model for future in Information Technology organization. The importance of this proposed research is that currently IT companies are experiencing increased global competition and parameters like complexities of the product, different markets, customer focus, high quality of product, decision making and integration among various business units in the global environment and the environment in which the firm operates are the issues of concern. Traditional quality tool in IT systems are not capable of coping with these demands and still stay competitive. Changes are needed in order to achieve sustainable results and maintaining fitness and overcome the problems of traditional tools. Today industrial companies need stable position socially and economically...
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...com/1598-2688.htm AJQ 13,3 An analysis of critical success factors for Six Sigma implementation Sunil Sharma Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi, Delhi, India, and 294 Anuradha R. Chetiya Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Ramjas College, University of Delhi, Delhi, India Abstract Purpose – The success of Six Sigma implementation is known to depend on a number of critical factors. The purpose of this paper is to explore and analyse Six Sigma critical success factors (CSFs) in the context of Indian manufacturing organizations. Design/methodology/approach – Although Six Sigma success factors have been amply researched in the global context, in this paper, a maiden attempt is made to identify, through an extensive literature review, the CSFs for Six Sigma implementation followed by their validation and prioritization using primary data collection from Indian companies. A total of 22 CSFs have thus been compiled through an extensive literature review. These CSFs are then validated through an empirical research of select Indian manufacturing companies at various stages of implementation of the Six Sigma process improvement methodology. Findings – A factor analysis was used to finally reduce the 22 factors to seven groups of underlying CSFs, the top factors being use of right tools, measurement assurance, innovation and supplier collaboration. Based on the factors extracted, a Six Sigma adoption model has been proposed in the Asian context. Research limitations/implications...
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... The Emergence of Lean Six Sigma Carl E. Pierce MBA 5101-06F – Strategic Management and Business Policy Professor Larry R. Williams October 15, 2006 The Emergence 2 Introduction Every organization has problems that get solved over and over again, only to reappear. Organizations work hard for months, generating solutions that people know will work, but don’t. To have any chance of success, implementation of Lean Six Sigma must be accompanied by new positions, new training, and new ways for different layers of the organization to communicate. By delivering products and services with speed, customer satisfaction and lower cost through operational excellence is essential to achieve and sustain superior shareholder returns in businesses and government enterprises. Operating excellence is becoming a priority in services like banking, insurance, retail, and government, because so much of the cost is tied into operations. Lean Six Sigma and Six Sigma are all about change and managing change. We all want improved results; it is just the challenge of making the changes and managing change necessary for the improved results that present the challenges. For some managers, the changes brought by Lean Six Sigma can present a challenge to their normal management approach. Decisions and changes are based on...
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...Pittsburgh Headquarters 105 Bradford Road Suite 400 Wexford, PA 15090 724.934.9000 724.935.6825 Fax info@SRIRegistrar.com www.SRIRegistrar.com Six Sigma, ISO 9001 and Baldrige Many organizations ask “How Do these programs, processes and standards support each other?” These initiatives are not mutually exclusive, in fact, understanding and applying all, some or part can greatly improve your business performance. The following is an overview of how they work together. What is Six Sigma? Six Sigma is a statistically-based process that strengthens organizational capacity for ongoing process improvement. “Six Sigma” or “six standards of deviation” aims to reduce defects to a rate of 3.4 defects per million defect opportunities by identifying and eliminating causes of variation in business processes. In defining defects or errors, Six Sigma focuses on developing a clear understanding of customer requirements and is therefore very customer focused. The DMAIC Methodology. The Six Sigma process is based on a concept called DMAIC: • Define – clearly identify the problem, the requirements of the project and objectives of the project • Measure – to fully understand the current performance • Analyze – the measurements collected to determine and validate the root cause(s) • Improve – developing ideas to remove the root causes of variation and implement the solutions • Control – to establish standard measures to maintain performance and to correct problems as needed Motorola invented this...
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...SIX SIGMA BASICS Six Sigma * is a set of techniques and tools for process improvement developed by Motorola in 1986. Jack Welch made it central to his business strategy at General Electric in 1995. Today, it is used in many industrial sectors. * seeks to improve the quality of process outputs by identifying and removing the causes of defects (errors) and minimizing variability in manufacturing and business processes. It uses a set of quality management methods, including statistical methods, and creates a special infrastructure of people within the organization ("Champions", "Black Belts", "Green Belts", "Yellow Belts", etc.) who are experts in these methods. Each Six Sigma project carried out within an organization follows a defined sequence of steps and has quantified value targets, for example: reduce process cycle time, reduce pollution, reduce costs, increase customer satisfaction, and increase profits. These are also core to principles of Total Quality Management (TQM) as described by Peter Drucker and Tom Peters (particularly in his book "In Search of Excellence" in which he refers to the Motorola six sigma principles). * The term is originated from terminology associated with manufacturing, specifically terms associated with statistical modeling of manufacturing processes. The maturity of a manufacturing process can be described by a sigma rating indicating its yield or the percentage of defect-free products it creates. A six sigma process is one in which...
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...six sigma six sigma training, history, definitions - six sigma and quality management glossary Six Sigma is now according to many business development and quality improvement experts, the most popular management methodology in history. Six Sigma is certainly a very big industry in its own right, and Six Sigma is now an enormous 'brand' in the world of corporate development. Six Sigma began in 1986 as a statistically-based method to reduce variation in electronic manufacturing processes in Motorola Inc in the USA. Today, twenty-something years on, Six Sigma is used as an all-encompassing business performance methodology, all over the world, in organizations as diverse as local government departments, prisons, hospitals, the armed forces, banks, and multi-nationals corporations. While Six Sigma implementation continues apace in many of the world's largest corporations, many organizations and suppliers in the consulting and training communities have also seized on the Six Sigma concept, to package and provide all sorts of Six Sigma 'branded' training products and consultancy and services. Six Sigma has also spawned manay and various business books on the subject. Six Sigma, it might seem, is taking over the world. Interestingly while Six Sigma has become a very widely used 'generic' term, the name Six Sigma is actually a registered trademark of Motorola Inc., in the USA, who first pioneered Six Sigma methods in the 1980's. The original and technically correct spelling seems to be...
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...the quality management practices in UK SMEs Maneesh Kumar Strathclyde Institute for Operations Management, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK, and Quality management practices 1153 Received 5 May 2008 Revised 23 June 2008 Accepted 17 July 2008 Jiju Antony Centre for Research in Six Sigma and Process Excellence (CRISSPE), Strathclyde Institute for Operations Management, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK Abstract Purpose – The last two decades have witnessed an explosion of research into the area of quality initiatives (QI) such as ISO, total quality management, lean, Kaizen and its application within small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). However, very few empirical studies have reported the application of Six Sigma in SMEs; the reasons may be attributed to several myths associated with Six Sigma. The purpose of this paper is to assess the current status of QI in the UK manufacturing SMEs and report the differences in the quality management practices of Six Sigma SMEs against the ISO certified firms. Design/methodology/approach – A survey-based approach was adopted to understand the established quality management practices in the UK SMEs. A short survey instrument was designed by reviewing the literature on quality improvement initiatives in SMEs. A sample of 500 manufacturing SMEs across UK was selected through stratified random sampling technique. Findings – A response rate of 12.7 per cent was achieved and included respondents at senior management and...
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...Six Sigma – A Management Philosophy Executive Summary I chose this topic because it was something that I’ve heard a great deal about, but have very little experience with. At my company, MetLife, there has been some recent investigation into Six Sigma and how it can help improve our Financial Reporting processes. While Six Sigma can involve some very complex statistical theory, especially in the world of manufacturing, I wanted to concentrate more on the Management philosophy and how it can implemented in a service type organization. Introduction History After World War II, the Japanese were left to rebuild their destroyed economy. They had to figure out a way to rebuild with very little resources other than human capital. Japanese leaders realized that to compete in the world market they must make drastic changes to quality management. (Kumar, 2006) Throughout the 50’s and 60’s, with the help of quality gurus like Deming and Juran, the Japanese made rapid improvements in quality of the production of goods and services. Meanwhile, the United States did very little to change their methods of operation. At the time, the United States was the main source for goods and services in the western world. There was very little incentive to concentrate on expensive quality improvement projects that would hurt the short-term bottom line. Instead, the focus was on production and performance. (Kumar, 2006). By the early 80’s, Japan had solidified it’s...
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...Armor School Research Library TDCD Fort Knox KY Bibliography March 2006 Lean Six Sigma Lean: Identifying 'waste' or ‘non-value-added activities’ from the customer perspective and then determining how to eliminate it the 'right' way. [Lean Six Sigma Institute] Lean Six Sigma: A business improvement methodology that maximizes shareholder value by achieving the fastest rate of improvement in customer satisfaction, cost, quality, process speed, and invested capital. [Lean Six Sigma Institute] http://www.army.mil/aeioo/rc/terms.htm Army rallies troops behind Lean Six Sigma program (Author: RP news wires – February 11, 2006) The Army’s growing Lean Six Sigma program has its roots in a corporate method of eliminating wasted time, money and material. Lean Six Sigma integrates two independently developed improvement tools: Lean and Six Sigma. Lean is an outgrowth of the Toyota production system, and focuses on increasing efficiency and reducing cycle time by the elimination of waste. Six Sigma was developed by Motorola beginning in the 1970s as an approach to improving quality and effectiveness through statistical control. Its roots go back more than 150 years to a Prussian mathematician who introduced the concept of the normal curve. Together, Lean and Six Sigma are powerful tools in transforming organizations, Army Materiel Command officials said. They said Lean Six Sigma enables a culture of innovation that continuously listens to customers, questions the...
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...Title: Importance of Six Sigma in Human Resource Management ABSTRACT Implementing six sigma methodology in HR functions raises the questions like how can HR be measured?’, ‘How can you apply 3.4 defects per million opportunity rule to HR when no organization would have a million employees?’ There is a high expectation from customers for every organization. To meet this expectation it has become imperative on the part of every department to perform to the best of its potential. The HR cannot afford to be an exception. Hence HR cannot afford to keep off from using Six Sigma tools and techniques to improve the processes of its own department. Why should the HR professional care what Six Sigma is or how it can be applied in the HR function? This paper illustrates the importance of six sigma methodology in Human Resource management. Interacting with few Black Belt experts who are working on six sigma projects in various companies, this paper also illustrate on 5 C’s factors such as change, communication, captain, consideration and choosing project which plays a vital role in successful implementation of six sigma methodologies in HR functions. Key words: Six Sigma, Human Resource Management, 5 C’s. INTRODUCTION Perfection is an endless dream. Man’s quest for flawless performance in all his work is taking him to the pursuit of constant improvement. Defects are dangerous, they have consequences much worse than earlier they use to. So, modern times have compelled the...
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...exists between innovation and quality management practices. They stress the importance of innovation in business as necessary to standing out among competitors and remaining fresh within the business’s respective market. For this reason, innovation has remained a hot topic among researchers for quite some time (Kim et al., 2012). The real question at hand is whether or not quality management has anything to do with innovation, as past research has suggested quality management as a precursor to innovation. Moreover, quality management is being embraced more and more by leading companies (Kim et al., 2012). The trouble is that Kim et al. (2012) believe that past studies have been flawed, as they did not distinguish between the types of quality management in associating it with innovation. By the same token, the view of innovation by past researchers was rather simplified as well, disregarding various types. The former two flaws may be why past research results have produced such varying results (Kim et al., 2012). Consequently, Kim et al. (2012) set out to fill in the gaps by determining the connections between various quality management processes, as well as how each may or may not relate to innovation. Kim et al. (2012) begin by defining quality management as a company’s on-going effort to improve and change. As such, the practices entailed in quality management are aimed at giving the company a competitive advantage and improving the quality of its performance (Kim et...
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...for many companies. The implementation of programs such as Total Quality Management (TQM) and Six Sigma help companies increase production and quality control, evaluate employee performance, and receive customer feedback. The Internet is also a magnificent tool that allows businesses and customers to communicate and help improve the performance of the company. The goal of most companies is to provide products and services that meet the quality expectations of their customers. Programs such as Six Sigma and TQM are essential for companies to compete with one another. Meeting the standards of customers is critical for businesses to succeed, and companies must continually improve on their products and services to meet the increasing demand of consumers. “Quality is the most important aspect of products and services, and the basis for the purchase of consumers. It has been reported that the quality movement has one core idea, and that is, goods and services must achieve the highest attainable quality, or nothing else will do. Thus, the past decade or so has seen the rise of a philosophy aimed at maximizing organizational quality and understanding it” (Connor, 1997). While there are other considerations, such as price, delivery, and flexibility, quality is still of utmost importance. This paper will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of implementing such practices as Six Sigma and Total Quality Management. Is one more beneficial than the other is, or is it best to combine...
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...Six Sigma Brief History of Six Sigma The roots of Six Sigma as a measurement standard can be traced back to Carl Frederick Gauss (1777-1855) who introduced the concept of the normal curve. Six Sigma as a measurement standard in product variation can be traced back to the 1920′s when Walter Shewhart showed that three sigma from the mean is the point where a process requires correction. Many measurement standards (Cpk, Zero Defects, etc.) later came on the scene but credit for coining the term “Six Sigma” goes to a Motorola engineer named Bill Smith (“Six Sigma” is a federally registered trademark of Motorola). The evolution of six sigma began in the late 1970s, when a Japanese firm took over a Motorola factory that manufactured television sets in the United States and the Japanese promptly set about making drastic changes to the way the factory operated. Motorola recognized that its quality was poor and management decided to take quality seriously. When Bob Galvin became Motorola's CEO in 1981, he challenged his company to achieve a tenfold improvement in performance over a five-year period. On January 15, 1987, Galvin launched a long term quality program, called “The Six Sigma Quality Program”. The program was a corporate program which established Six Sigma as the required capability level to approach the standard of 3.4 Defects per Million Opportunities (DPMO). The Corporate Policy Committee of Motorola then updated their quality goal as follows: “Improve product and...
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...Six Sigma is a set of tools and techniques/strategies for process improvement originally developed by Motorola in 1981.[1][2] Six Sigma became well known after Jack Welch made it a central focus of his business strategy at General Electric in 1995,[3] and today it is used in different sectors of industry.[4] Six Sigma seeks to improve the quality of process outputs by identifying and removing the causes of defects (errors) and minimizing variability in manufacturing and business processes.[5] It uses a set of quality management methods, including statistical methods, and creates a special infrastructure of people within the organization ("Champions", "Black Belts", "Green Belts", "Yellow Belts", etc.) who are experts in the methods.[5] Each Six Sigma project carried out within an organization follows a defined sequence of steps and has quantified value targets, for example; process cycle time reduction, customer satisfaction, reduction in pollution, cost reduction and/or profit increase.[5] The term Six Sigma originated from terminology associated with manufacturing, specifically terms associated with statistical modeling of manufacturing processes. The maturity of a manufacturing process can be described by a sigma rating indicating its yield or the percentage of defect-free products it creates. A six sigma process is one in which 99.99966% of the products manufactured are statistically expected to be free of defects (3.4 defects per million), although, as discussed below...
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